View Full Version : Injured AT Hikers
Rowdy Yates
02-20-2010, 10:06
Just finished reading "Frankie the Sleeper's" Trail Journal and in it he states that 5 hikers have already left the Trail due to injuries. Still lots of snow and ice. Sure hope the conditions improve before the mass begins their trek.
Every Potental thru-hiker that leaves the trail, must in their own mind have a reason. You can't leave because it's too hard.
Almost all have some physical difficulty, ie. injury, during a thru. The sucessfull ones suck it up and keep going. The weak go home.:-?
we've had a lot more snow on the east coast than there's been in probably 15 years. no surprising. take your time those of you about to leave!
Blissful
02-20-2010, 10:38
Yeah you can warn people about these things and the dangers but they sure don't heed. Like telling people to wait for better weather. A shame.
Blissful
02-20-2010, 10:44
Every Potental thru-hiker that leaves the trail, must in their own mind have a reason. You can't leave because it's too hard.
Almost all have some physical difficulty, ie. injury, during a thru. The sucessfull ones suck it up and keep going. The weak go home.:-?
Huh?
C'mon. It's also called common sense. If you aren't used to those kind of conditions, then you be prudent. This is the worst winter we have ever had.
And it is the most irresponsible and stupid advice that you suck it up and keep going if you are injured (or you are labeled weak). It's those that take care of themselves that make it.
They say it takes 5 million steps to hike the AT but nobody ever tells you how many falls.
Huh?
C'mon. It's also called common sense. If you aren't used to those kind of conditions, then you be prudent. This is the worst winter we have ever had.
And it is the most irresponsible and stupid advice that you suck it up and keep going if you are injured (or you are labeled weak). It's those that take care of themselves that make it.
Blissful:
You miss interpited my message. Almost everyone who gives up on a thru, returnes home and tells all that they were injured and had to leave. The real reason for leaving was it was a lot harder than expected. A lot of the time that is caused by the weather.
njordan2
02-20-2010, 12:33
"...suck it up and keep going. The weak go home." - Clearly someone who has no clue as to what they are talking about says and believes things like that.
In my life, I have never had to bail out of a hike. I have muscled through blisters, burns, bights, cuts, sprains, sicknesses, breaks and God only know what else, and it was ALL luck. Only the LUCKY succeed, strength has almost no bearing on the outcome.
Good luck to all who venture out this year!
Cool AT Breeze
02-20-2010, 12:52
If you're not having fun' go home.
Rockhound
02-20-2010, 15:20
"...suck it up and keep going. The weak go home." - clearly someone who has no clue as to what they are talking about says and believes things like that.
In my life, i have never had to bail out of a hike. I have muscled through blisters, burns, bights, cuts, sprains, sicknesses, breaks and god only know what else, and it was all luck. Only the lucky succeed, strength has almost no bearing on the outcome.
Good luck to all who venture out this year!
pain is just weakness leaving the body!
Work into your hikes. Start off slowly. Most hikers hit the trail not in hiking shape. It will take some time to get into hiking shape and adapt to the trail lifestyle. It will take additional time to get into thru-hiker shape. I have witnessed too many to count who start off like they are racing to a finish line and needlessly and foolishly get injured early on their journeys, some so seriously it ends their journey prematurely. There are no checkered flags at katahdin and springer!
modiyooch
02-20-2010, 19:26
I think the physical aspect is mastered, it's the mental aspect that does people in.
modiyooch
02-20-2010, 19:31
bad winter or not, it is winter and if and it is the mts. If you start in Jan, then you better be prepared and expect winter activity.
I'm curious as to the breakdown of start dates for the ones that do complete their thru. With the exception of hikers like Tipi, my guess would be the April starters fair better.
While the mental issues of thru-hiking needs to be successfully addressed, Umm, there are hikers who get injured so seriously they can not continue! While completing something like a thru-hike may be largely mental that does not mean there isn't a strong physical aspect to it either. Issues in either area can take a hiker off the trail.
those starting this weekend are getting some warmer weather... the forecast for the southeast gradually starting to improve the next few days.... but another front coming next week will drop temps and some more snow likely in north GA and NC sections. Last I looked at the Smokies weather site, there was over 30" of snow on the ground at Mt LeConte
Being out in the cold is not that big a deal with proper gear, hiking in a ton of snow, no thanks.
a high percentage of the injuries seen on the AT are knee or ankle injuries... encourage hikers to read up on Illotibial Band Syndrome(IBS), a common knee injury. It usually shows up in the first few days or weeks if hikers try to go out too fast at the beginning of a thru hike. Proper stretching and strength exercises can make a big difference and help hikers avoid this injury. This is even more important this time of year when hiking in very cold weather.
Huh?
C'mon. It's also called common sense. If you aren't used to those kind of conditions, then you be prudent. This is the worst winter we have ever had.
And it is the most irresponsible and stupid advice that you suck it up and keep going if you are injured (or you are labeled weak). It's those that take care of themselves that make it.
Very few hikers are willing to be honest and tell friends that they just found the trail boring, or too difficult, or not worth the effort. Since almost everyone experiences a plausible excuse -- blisters, sprains, illness, whatever -- hikers tend to use these as reasons for quitting.
There are obviously also legitimate injuries that demand quitting.
But wise hikers recognize that most injuries stem from going too fast for condtions -- both conditions of the trail, and hiker condition. Hikers who pay attention to their physical condition and to conditions on the trail very seldom fall. At least I rarely fall, and I'm old and wobbly. I have found that if you slow down you will rarely if ever fall. The search for big mile days, and attempts to keep up with faster hikers, cause more failed thru hikes than any other factor.
Weary
fiddlehead
02-20-2010, 22:50
Once again Weary had the wisest advice.
It's not the lucky ones who make it, it's the ones with the most will power and smarts to know when to go fast and when to slow down and let the body catch up to this new phase of it's life.
Out of 8 attempted thru's, I've quit on 2 of them. Neither one physical reasons.
moondoggie
02-20-2010, 22:55
I agree with Grampie...10% physical and 90% mental
Also agree with Weary...and you hear it a thousand times (Hike your own hike!!!)
- Moondoggie
To hike the whole trail will take anywhere from four to six/seven months - plat it safe and spend the first month or so building yourself up in good shape. As the warmer weather starts appearing, lighter loads and a fitter body can make all the difference.
Happy Hiking and remember you're doing this for pleasure, not punishment.
Butch Cassidy
02-21-2010, 09:14
I have thruhiked twice, started in Feb. both times and made it. Much better weather than this year but still some rough spots. I have a lot of respect for the people out there this year but they seem surprised at the weather? What were they thinking? The southeast has been getting hammered all winter and people leave in January hoping for the best? Be careful what you ask for comes to mind here and Mother Nature is not done with winter yet.
singingpilgrim
03-16-2010, 16:10
While I would not criticize those who left for injuries, I knew someone who broke her leg on the trail, rested in town a little while, upset the whole time that people were passing her she wouldn't see again, and then got back on on the trail.
I'm not saying that people shouldn't take a break if they're injured, they shouldn't make it worse by aggravating their injury. But it seems awful soon in the 2010 hiking season to say you're leaving the trail for good. I'm sure any of those people who were injured in February could get back on by April and still make it to Maine, and I hope they do. If you get injured in July or something, that'd be a different story.
Snowleopard
03-16-2010, 16:18
In this year's trail journals, it seems like there are several knee injuries and at least one cold injury (just short of frostbite). Postholing, especially when some of the time the snow supports you and some of the time you posthole, seems injury prone to me. Also, I've injured myself slipping on ice and barely catching the fall, straining a muscle. The tough conditions seem to really be physically beating up this years hikers.
DrRichardCranium
03-16-2010, 16:48
I agree with Grampie...10% physical and 90% mental
- Moondoggie
So I guess that means that in order to complete a thru-hike of the AT, you need to be 90% mental.:-?
singingpilgrim
03-16-2010, 16:58
So I guess that means that in order to complete a thru-hike of the AT, you need to be 90% mental.:-?
Haha. I love it.
That would make a good tshirt.
Jan LiteShoe
03-16-2010, 17:15
a high percentage of the injuries seen on the AT are knee or ankle injuries... encourage hikers to read up on Illotibial Band Syndrome(IBS), a common knee injury. It usually shows up in the first few days or weeks if hikers try to go out too fast at the beginning of a thru hike. Proper stretching and strength exercises can make a big difference and help hikers avoid this injury. This is even more important this time of year when hiking in very cold weather.
I whole-heartedly agree with this. Painful IT Band syndrome shows up within days in Georgia, for many (me included).
Because I'd hiked some of Georgia before thruhiking, I decided to wear a Cho-Pat knee strap to keep my kneecaps aligned as muscles tired. This, along with chosing to keep my early days at under 8-10 miles, proved to be the right strategy for my lightly-muscled and not trail-fit frame to adjust to the rigors and go the distance.
An old saying but a good one "dont go too far, too fast, too soon"
Snowleopard
03-16-2010, 17:28
I whole-heartedly agree with this. Painful IT Band syndrome shows up within days in Georgia, for many (me included).
Because I'd hiked some of Georgia before thruhiking, I decided to wear a Cho-Pat knee strap to keep my kneecaps aligned as muscles tired. This, along with chosing to keep my early days at under 8-10 miles, proved to be the right strategy for my lightly-muscled and not trail-fit frame to adjust to the rigors and go the distance.
It makes sense to do exercises to strengthen quadriceps and hamstring muscles to keep kneecaps aligned, at least for my knee problems (patellar chondromalacia) and for some other knee problems.
At my age, I need to be doing core exercises, knee exercises and stretches to avoid injury. However, do as I say, not as I do. :) Right now I'm trying to decide between relaxing in the warm sunshine and going snowshoeing, not boring exercises.
Class2010AT
03-16-2010, 20:38
If you're not having fun' go home.
yep that sums it all up
WalkSoftly33
03-16-2010, 21:22
I was to weak to give in... to strong to loose
- Foo Fighters
kayak karl
03-16-2010, 21:38
yep that sums it all up yep, he's right.
An old saying but a good one "dont go too far, too fast, too soon"In other word's you want to be pushy, but not too pushy:D
An old saying but a good one "dont go too far, too fast, too soon"
You forgot "too heavy".
I broke all of the above without troubles, many times (section hiking). Of course, a couple of times when I got home I could barely move, so it is, without a doubt, VERY sound advice for a thruhike.:)
i'd think the weather has less to do with injuries than those who go too far too fast